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If your child is having vision problems, then vision therapy may be the answer. Vision therapy is a non-surgical, non-corrective lense way of treating childhood vision problems. You can think of vision therapy as physical therapy, but instead of rehabbing a torn muscle, vision therapy works your child's eye muscles instead. As their eye muscles become stronger, your child's vision will naturally improve.

If your child's ophthalmologist has suggested they start a vision therapy program, then these tips will help you to assist with their success:

Tip: Schedule Your Child's Vision Therapy Time Each Day

Since your child is likely very busy with school and activities, you need to schedule time in their day to complete their vision therapy. One of the most effective ways to do this is to complete each treatment session in the morning just before or after breakfast. Completing the therapy exercises early in the day ensures the task is out of the way and will always be completed despite how busy your child's days.

Tip: Use Positive Reinforcement to Keep Your Child Engaged 

While you as an adult have an understanding of the concept of delayed gratification, your child has not yet developed that ability. For this reason, it makes the concept of "someday your vision will improve" hard for a child to envision and often leads to vision therapy program failures.

To keep your child engaged in their own therapy program, create a daily checklist that contains each of their daily exercises. With a checklist, your child can check off each task as they complete them and immediately see they are making progress.

In addition to the checklist, keep a weekly or monthly calendar where your child can check off the days they completed their therapy tasks. Reward your child for each week or month completed keeps them engaged and will lessen their complaints about the treatment.

Tip: See Your Child's Pediatric Ophthalmologist Regularly

Finally, to get the most out of your child's vision therapy program, you must return to the pediatric ophthalmologist on a regular basis. The vision therapist needs regular input from your child's doctor to keep their therapy program working on the right eye muscles, and these regular examinations greatly help the effort. It is not okay to skip doctor's appointments because you are already working with the vision therapist. They each have their own specialty, and both are vital to your child's care.

For more information, contact a company like Macomb Eye Care Specialists.